WB: Tata's challenge to Mamata; Singur Bill in Calcutta HC

Kolkata, Jun 22: A fresh war has been emerged between Ratan Tata and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee when the Tata group moved the Calcutta High Court challenging Singur Bill.

Tata Motors has challenged the recently passed Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act 2011 and the court will hear the petition on Wednesday, Jun 22.

The Tatas urged the court not to bring back the land from them and also rejected the charge of abandonment of land as the bill stated. The state assembly passed the bill on Jun 14 amid a walk-out by the Opposition parties led by CPI(M).

What is Singur Bill?

The bill aims at rescinding the lease of land by state government to Tata Motors and would enable the government to take back 997 acres leased to Tata Motors. Before the elections, Banerjee had promised to return 400 acres land to the poor farmers.

This bill named as 'Singur Land Rehabilitation Bill' propagated in the house on Sunday, Jun 12. The bill would empower the government to take over the land covered by the lease granted to Tata Motors in view of "non-commissioning and abandoning of the small car project and ancillary factories and to return a portion to unwilling owners and utilise the remainder in public interest."

According to the bill, the Tatas must vacate the possession of the land. It also empowered the Hoogly district administration to use forces if required.

The bill also said that the Bengal government would have to pay compensation to the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation as it had earlier acquired the land on behalf of it and paid Rs. 137 crore to the landowners.